Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Mocking the mockers (including me)

Here at ColtPlay, we like to look at what other people are saying. So here’s a collection of what most of the internet draft predictors have decided the Colts would pick. Perhaps notable by their absence are The Sporting News and ESPN. That’s because they both charge for their info and I don’t want to let their cats out of their bags. They’re always wrong, anyway, so you’re not missing much. So without them, here’s what we have.

9 DT PriceVery productive, but sloppy and raw. Doesn’t look strong enough to distinguish himself at the NFL level right away. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Okay with it.

8 C PounceyCould use a few more degrees of dedication to the game, but otherwise a great prospect. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Pretty darn happy.

5 T BrownUgh. I hate to say it, but he looks like a potential bust to me. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Wondering if Polian’s lost it.

5 DT OdrickAnother skinny college DT who’d be better off as a 3-4 end. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Wishing they hadn’t.

5 T SaffoldLooked great in the Senior Bowl, but was inconsistent before that. Will develop, but lacks killer instinct as run blocker. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Okay with it.

4 CB McCourtyHe already plays like a Colts’ DB, and could easily grab the return job. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Delighted.

2 OLB WeatherspoonVery good college ’backer who’s smaller than NFL standards and not all that tough seeming. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Meh.

2 T CampbellGreat pass blocker who lacks bite in the run game, is that really what the Colts want? If they drafted him first, I’d be: Okay with it.

1 CB WilsonGreat college corner who may not be tough and strong enough in the run game. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Wondering if they have changed their defense as radically as all that.

1 CB WarrenA great athlete at corner who needs to learn and use more technique and aggressiveness to succeed. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Wondering if he’ll ever be better than a fourth corner.

1 WR LaFellA strong and talented college star at WR who lacks speed and explosiveness. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Wondering if the NFL is allowing the Colts to play with two balls at once.

1 DE GrahamWow. A great college DE and a great kid. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Wondering how he fell so far in the draft.

1 DE HughesA much-hyped pass-rusher whose so-so first step may translate to a tough time in the NFL. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Hoping he's a better prospect than I once thought.

1 G IupatiA college guard who can also play tackle, he seems capable of Pro Bowl play at either position. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Surprised he wasn’t selected a dozen picks earlier.

1 CB JacksonA pretty solid college CB who may not have the explosiveness to be an NFL star. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Wondering if they saw something I didn’t.

1 ILB WashingtonThis guy’s a great athlete who lacks instincts and size. And he might not have Colts-type character. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Hoping they didn’t.

1 CB RobinsonPersonally, I love this kid; not just as a corner, but as a return man as well. If they drafted him first, I’d be: Pretty impressed.

So, if you agree with the media, the Colts will grab Price or Pouncey. But before you put all your mock draft eggs in one basket, keep in mind that not a single one of those experts (including ColtPlay) correctly predicted that the Colts would draft Donald Brown in the first round. And only one of them had the Colts drafting a halfback first (and that was Ohio State’s Beanie Wells).

So in honor of that record of ineptitude by us draft predictors, and the Colts’ ability to surprise us all, I’m changing my guess from McCourty to Virginia Tech Jason Worilds. Wait, nobody has him yet, do they?